On major video websites, videos of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have practically flooded the platforms.
There are all sorts of videos related to players enjoying the game.
Some players showcased a mountain skateboarding show.
They climbed to the very top of a mountain, then leaped off, placing their shield under their feet to start sliding. The player jumped from the mountain and then put their shield under their feet, making the action look incredibly stylish and cool.
Unfortunately, the terrain this player was sliding on wasn't a snow mountain but an ordinary one, and shields' durability depletes when sliding on regular ground. This led to a scene where, before the player could even reach the bottom of the mountain, the wooden shield under their feet shattered halfway down, and Link proceeded to tumble down the rest of the slope. Link, who already had low health, only one heart, died instantly from the fall.
As night fell, the Bokoblins' temporary outpost monsters were dozing off. All their weapons were placed nearby. Controlling Link, the player stealthily crept in, took all their weapons one by one, then woke them up and used their own big clubs to knock them out, one by one.
Also, while wandering the Hyrule roads late at night, a group of skeletal monsters would emerge from underground. However, these skeletal monsters were very fragile; one hit was enough to scatter their bones. You could even pick up their heads and run around with them, and the headless skeletal monsters, unable to find their heads, would furiously chase you down a whole street.
Facing a group of Bokoblins, the player used a torch to light the ground. With the wind blowing nearby, the fire quickly spread, creating a famous dish: Braised Bokoblins.
Upon arriving at the first village, there was a group of chickens. Picking up a chicken and jumping from a high place allowed the player to use it as a paraglider, which looked particularly amusing.
There was also a trick using the Stasis ability: constantly attacking a large tree, then climbing it to experience the joy of a human-guided missile.
Each video showcased The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's unique gameplay, instantly stunning players.
Whether they had played it or not.
'Holy cow! You can play like that? And braised Bokoblins like that!?'
'Friendly reminder: the best place for skateboarding in the early game is still snow mountains; other places will deplete durability!'
'What the heck, there are even these tricky maneuvers! Setting mountains on fire will land you in jail!'
'Haha, using a chicken as a paraglider is so fun!'
'LOL, that headless skeleton looking for its head is so silly!'
'Bokoblins are so cute, how can you bear to harm them like that?'
'This tree-climbing missile is so hard! I tried so many times, but it wouldn't fly!'
'Upstairs, you have to wait until it turns red for it to have the power to fly out, and you also need to shoot an arrow at the end to change its direction.'
'There's even that trick!?'
'By the way, isn't Link supposed to be a hero? In your hands, I feel like you're all acting like old rogues?'
Watching the game videos, even players who had already played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild discovered many things they hadn't known before.
All sorts of small details, tricks, and hidden spots in the Great Plateau gave many veteran players the feeling that there was an endless amount to discover!
For example, many players had already left the Great Plateau but had no idea about creatures like Koroks.
Similarly, players who relied solely on eating food to get up the snowy mountains didn't know about warm clothing or cooking food with buffs.
Some players were only just discovering that the shields in this game could also be used as skateboards.
As for those who hadn't played the game, watching these videos was even more astonishing.
Just by watching, they felt that this game seemed incredibly fun, with explosive gameplay!
Although the console's hardware capabilities limited The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's visual presentation, it certainly wasn't as powerful as games like Red Dead Redemption.
However, the non-realistic animated style made it easy to overlook this point, shifting attention more towards the gameplay.
Moreover, through the videos, many players also discovered that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild actually had plenty of details.
For instance, when it rained, people encountered in villages and the wilderness would cover their heads and head for houses or other shelters.
The monsters in the game would also warn each other, instead of relying on a single aggro mechanism that allowed players to pull them one by one.
Of course, besides these, what was most astonishing in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the environmental interaction mechanism.
In stormy weather, if players controlled Link to run recklessly across the wilderness with a metal Greatsword on his back, they'd better watch out for a golden lightning bolt teaching them a lesson from the sky.
When a meteor streaked across the sky, running towards itsε θ½ direction genuinely led to finding that fallen meteor.
Basking in direct sunlight made Link sweat, but entering the shade of a tree, Link would comfortably catch his breath.
Monsters also rested, and when they rested, they would put their weapons aside.
Not to mention, combined with different abilities, the game's gameplay offered endless variations, reminding people of Minecraft.
What limited the gameplay wasn't the game itself, but the player's imagination.
Just watching already felt so fun.
How much more fun would it be to play it themselves?
Many players who hadn't bought a Switch or the game yet developed this thought.
Unconsciously, a small hand was already reaching into their pockets.
As for how fun it was? Many players who were currently playing could only say, this game was terrifyingly good!
Time quietly slipped away without them noticing.
β¦β¦β¦β¦β¦β¦
That evening, Song Ren, back home, huddled in his quilt, playing on his Switch.
The weather had turned a bit chilly. On such a day, being under a thick quilt, completely cocooned with only a small gap exposed, and playing on the Switch, felt incredibly comfortable.
"Just a little longer and then I'll sleep. I'll clear that shrine ahead, and then I'll sleep! Just one more shrine."
Looking at the time displayed on the Switch β 11:30 β Song Ren took a deep breath.
Although he didn't have to go to work tomorrow, good habits shouldn't change; he needed to sleep early and wake up early.
In the afternoon, at the coffee shop, he had already finished searching the Great Plateau.
He found a few treasure chests and some ugly-cute Koroks.
And when he reached the village where Impa resided, through the shrine at the entrance, he learned many rich combat techniques.
Although some content was locked, he could still use some of it.
For example, the Perfect Guard skill.
He learned this while chatting with Old Zhang, who also sent a video. The skillful Perfect Guard against Guardians left Song Ren awestruck.
He couldn't fathom how Old Zhang was so proficient.
Besides that, something else that made Song Ren a bit frustrated in the game was how precious the weapons were; their durability depleted so quickly.
And the number he could carry was limited. Sometimes, he'd see a pretty good weapon on the ground but couldn't pick it up, which was truly frustrating.
Of course, that wasn't the most heartbreaking part.
The most heartbreaking thing was fighting monsters with a Bokoblin's big club.
He hoarded some high-attack weapons, unwilling to use them.
But as he kept playing, he realized these weapons were becoming obsolete without him ever using them.
Yet, he'd still hoard new weapons, unwilling to use them.
This also applied to food.
Initially, he cooked a pile of ingredients together.
But the cooked dishes only restored five or six health points, or even seven, eight, or a dozen health points.
He simply couldn't bear to eat them!
He saved them for later.
With this thought, Song Ren was repeatedly beaten to death by monsters but still refused to eat a single roasted skewer!
While sighing, Song Ren pondered the shrine in front of him.
After quickly solving the shrine puzzle and receiving the Trial Certificates, Song Ren was ready to turn off the console and sleep.
But the next moment, his hand stopped, because he saw a towering structure in a nearby canyon.
That was the tower of this region!
"This distance seems quite close! I'll unlock the map for this area, then I'll sleep."
With that thought, Song Ren walked towards the tower.
Five minutes later.
"Huh, this shrine seems pretty close. I'm just one certificate away from being able to increase my health again."
"Last shrine, I'll sleep after beating it!"
Looking at the brightly lit shrine in the distance.
Perhaps it was an illusion.
Song Ren felt as if a mysterious force had taken control of his controller, making Link in the game involuntarily walk towards the shrine.
(End of Chapter)
<